Tuesday has been nothing short of exciting with breaking news coming every hour. This morning Davante Adams was traded to the Jets. In Pittsburgh, Russell Wilson was announced the starter in week 7, and then we got the Buffalo Bills acquiring Amari Cooper in the last hour. Both of these moves at the wide receiver position have significant effects on many players already on their new teams. Let’s take a look at the impact of the new acquisitions in New York and Buffalo.
Jump to a Player
Garrett Wilson – Up
Wilson has unquestionably been the key cog of the Jets passing game, with 67 targets. However, defenses have been able to key in on him at times with the lack of another true receiving threat. Furthermore, he has been placed in the role of solely an X Receiver, whereas he’s more equipped to play at the Y. While the addition of Adams may take from Wilson’s volume, he will see more advantageous looks. Some experts might be telling you his value is down in fantasy football, but his efficiency will only be going up with the addition of Adams.
Khalil Shakir – Down
While Shakir will likely have better matchups like Wilson, he will no longer be WR1 on his squad with the addition of Cooper. Shakir has accumulated 20 catches and 249 yards in 5 games, being Allen’s favorite target. Now, he will shift over to the Y Spot presumably, like Wilson. However, without the talent and upside of Wilson, he will likely see his production decrease in favor of Cooper, and as the season progresses, Keon Coleman too. Shakir does still hold value as a FLEX play in PPR Leagues.
Allen Lazard – Down
Lazard has had a surprisingly good year so far with Rodgers back throwing him the football. He has 354 yards and 5 TDs in 6 games. While he will still have a role, he clearly will get less work than Adams, already having been WR2 behind Wilson. Expect his touches and target share to drop heavily with Tae inserted in. Lazard is droppable in fantasy football.
Josh Allen – Up
Josh Allen has been great all season. Last night we saw him account for 3 touchdowns against one of the league’s best defenses. His passing yards per game have plummeted this season without a true number 1 receiver. Now he gets Amari Cooper, a 5x Pro-Bowler who complements his playstyle. Cooper immediately makes a huge impact, putting Shakir, Allen, and Keon Coleman all in better positions to succeed in Buffalo.
Breece Hall – Up
Breece Hall is another beneficiary of this move opening up the ground game in New York. Teams have been able to cheat to the run at times resulting in inefficient performances behind a bad run blocking offensive line. With the addition of Davante Adams teams will not be able to cheat as much to the run against the Jets. Expect Breece Hall’s efficiency to jump up here over the next few weeks.
Patrick Mahomes – Down
While the Chiefs are far from desperate, being back-to-back Super Bowl champs and currently unbeaten, they are in the market for a Wide Receiver. Even with Patrick Mahomes under center, the injuries to Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown have created a need for a pass catcher in KC. Adams was always doubtful, but Cooper was linked by some to the Chiefs. Now, with the two likely biggest ticket WRs on the trade block gone, Veach will have to get creative. But there is a bigger margin for error with Mahomes and Andy Reid at the helm.
For a breakdown of all of the action around the NFL and Fantasy check out this video!